The Battle of Barapind

The Battle of Barapind or the Battle of Basantar (December 4 - December 16, 1971) was one of the vital battles fought in this village as part of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 in the estern sector of Pakistan.

Before partition

Before partition its name was Bara Pind Lohtian. It is located in the northern part of pre-partition Punjab close to the border with the State of Jammu and Kashmir. Before partition, this area was in district Gurdaspur. At the time of the partition, the village had approximately 400 houses of Hindu and 100 houses of Muslim families.

Brother Hood of Hindus, Muslims and Sikhis

There was only one Sikh household in the village. Muslims were mostly poor while Hindus were generally affluent. They were landlords, merchants and moneylenders. Their houses were solidly built with small bricks and wood. Doors and windows were elaborately designed. The main doors had engraving of their religious figures. Hindus were the dominant faction in the village. They did not allow the slaughter of cows but other than that people in the village lived together with remarkable religious tolerance and communal harmony. They drank water from the same wells, and Hindu and Muslim children used to play together.

Festivals, Events and Funfairs

The religious and seasonal festivals were the big events of their lives and were celebrated with a lot of funfair.

Peaceful Life

The village life was by and large very peaceful. Disputes were settled by the panchayat (council) of village elders and police never came to the village. No murders or other major crimes are reported in that area during those days.

The square

The square of the village was an open space of about half an acre in area with a number of shops around it. Large mango orchards surrounded the village.

Transportation

An unpaved road passed through the village, coming from Jammu through Samba, Tanda, and Darman up to Amritsar. There used to be a diesel bus service between Samba and Amritsar that passed through the village once a day. The nearest railway station was Shakargarh, about 8 miles away.

Educational Institutes and Hospital

The village had a primary school for boys, an animal hospital and a small village council. There was no school for girls but a Hindu woman used to teach Hindu girls in a mandir (temple). Hindu women used to cover their faces with veils and usually did not go out of their houses.

The land

The land was very fertile and was irrigated through wells.

Barapind Lohtian

The village was called Lohtian either because the businessmen of the area used to bring loha (iron) from Amritsar for selling, or more likely, because the cast of the Hindu Khatri clan that used to live there was Lohtia.